Chapter 986

Sixty years later, after being swept out of Piaomiao Mountain, everyone stood stunned in the void.

Someone gained nothing.

One might say, most people gained nothing.

Some obtained a few immortal herbs and fruits, but these were not picked from within the Immortal Plant Garden—they were gathered from the wilds of Piaomiao Mountain itself.

He Pingsheng looked down at the ground beneath his feet.

After sixty years, this place was no longer where they had entered Piaomiao Mountain.

After all, the mountain was constantly drifting.

“Let’s go!”

He Pingsheng returned to his Solitary Pine Mountain!

Next came research.

Strengthening the items brought from the Immortal Realm, studying those immortal scripts, and extracting the Time Dao method from the [Hundred Gathering Heavenly Light Array] for contemplation and cultivation.

Of course, most importantly, he took out the corpses of the three Immortal Recluses, refined them into ninth-rank [Essential Blood], then tossed that blood into the Treasure Basin to strengthen it.

Day after day, like this.

Year after year.

Before he knew it, thirteen hundred years had passed.

He Pingsheng’s cultivation bottleneck suddenly shattered.

How did it break?

He didn’t know.

He Pingsheng didn’t know either.

Because this time, he hadn’t swallowed any heavenly treasure to break through, hadn’t gained any insight, and hadn’t faced a life-or-death predicament.

Yet the bottleneck broke anyway.

Like water flowing naturally into a channel.

He Pingsheng’s cultivation finally reached Mahayana Emperor Realm Level Twelve.

After thinking it over, He Pingsheng realized that a bottleneck need not be broken only through heavenly treasures, life-or-death trials, or insight.

Perhaps, given enough time, as the Dao within one’s body became perfectly smooth, it could break through naturally—like water flowing into a channel.

It was merely a matter of wasting more time.

Hummm…

He Pingsheng waved his hand, and a golden great dou flew out of a golden array and landed in his palm.

Inside the great dou was a full measure of [Heavenly and Earth Destiny].

After returning from Piaomiao Mountain, He Pingsheng placed this golden dou into the Momentary Time Array, where its rate of gathering Heavenly and Earth Destiny increased tenfold.

Thus, over these thirteen hundred years, he had gathered four full dou of destiny.

The early stages were fast, but the later stages slowed considerably.

He Pingsheng understood this was because the destiny energy within the Spirit Realm had grown increasingly scarce, causing the gathering speed to decline.

“Enough, enough…” He Pingsheng sighed, placing this latest dou of Heavenly and Earth Destiny into the Treasure Basin.

The previous three dou, after strengthening, became six dou.

Now this fourth dou could also be strengthened.

Indeed, after one night, the destiny energy had strengthened into two dou.

Yes, after one night—not one year.

Because although destiny energy is ninth-rank, it remains a Spirit Realm substance, not an Immortal Realm one, and does not require a full year to strengthen.

At this moment, He Pingsheng possessed a total of eight dou of destiny.

“Return…”

Looking at the eight dou of destiny, He Pingsheng immediately took out four of them, waved his hand, and released them back into Heaven and Earth.

In other words, the destiny energy he had drawn from the Spirit Realm over these years was now restored.

Then, due to the Treasure Basin, he still retained four dou.

These four dou could now be distributed.

He would give one dou to Cui Jue and keep three for himself.

But the agreed time with Cui Jue was still nearly fourteen hundred years away—he couldn’t go early, or Cui Jue would grow suspicious.

Wait.

In the time that followed, He Pingsheng fully let go, wandering through every corner of the Spirit Realm, mingling among mortals, teaching and guiding all beings.

He also took on several human disciples as nominal students.

The human race grew ever more prosperous.

Before he knew it, another fourteen hundred years had passed.

The day agreed upon with Cui Jue finally arrived.

He Pingsheng did not immediately descend to find Cui Jue; instead, he returned to Nirvana Emperor Domain and held a meeting.

A small meeting.

Only his core circle.

His disciple Luo Bingyao!

Also Liu Molin, Hu Chen, Feng Wu, Huo Ming, the Light Divine Emperor Aglei (Tianxiang Clan), and Bing Xuan, guardian of the Ascension Platform.

“Master…” Luo Bingyao said: “You once told me that after three thousand years, I could ascend. The time is nearly here—why haven’t you ascended yet? Do you still have unfulfilled wishes?”

“Mm.” He Pingsheng nodded. “I have one small matter left—it will be finished soon!”

“I summoned you here today to ask:”

“How is the human race faring?”

Hu Chen said: “Master He… the human race has developed with astonishing speed!”

“Perhaps due to the destiny energy, our race has now become the largest in the entire Spirit Realm!”

“With the Western Continent as our base, we’ve expanded into all four other continents—there are now over forty human cultivators at Mahayana Emperor Realm!”

He Pingsheng was overjoyed.

Forty Mahayana Emperor Realm cultivators seemed few compared to the hundreds among the demon races.

But as a single race, we are now number one.

Moreover, behind humanity stands the entire Jin Ku Clan, who swore allegiance to the human race.

“Excellent—I’m relieved!” He Pingsheng said. “From now on, continue developing the human race with the Western Continent as its core.”

“Hu Chen, Liu Molin!”

“You two will oversee affairs on the Western Continent. Gather all human Mahayana Emperor Realm cultivators and establish a council there to select the most gifted among them to govern the entire Spirit Realm!”

This was all He Pingsheng could do.

The rest, he would leave to unfold naturally.

He didn’t know how far the human race would go.

He couldn’t watch over it forever.

But the broad direction was secure.

Because He Pingsheng still had five clones remaining in this world—they would keep the entire continent in order.

For at least the next hundred thousand years, there would be no problem.

“Bing Xuan, from today onward, you will oversee Nirvana Emperor Domain and the Heavenly Fire Continent!”

“Me?” Bing Xuan blinked in surprise.

He Pingsheng nodded. “You’ve served well guarding the Tianwang Mountain Ascension Platform these years.”

“What about me?” Luo Bingyao asked. “She took my position—what am I supposed to do?”

He Pingsheng’s expression turned solemn. “Ascend.”

“I will ascend within the next hundred years—you go first.”

“Otherwise, I won’t be at ease.”

“Prepare yourself—ascend now.”

With that, He Pingsheng flung a supreme-grade [Ascension Pill] through the air.

In the days that followed, Luo Bingyao began her preparations.

Several days later, under He Pingsheng’s personal escort, she arrived at the Tianwang Mountain Ascension Platform.

A new guardian now stood watch.

He Pingsheng looked at Luo Bingyao. “You may decide now—will you sever your clone?”

“If you must, do it quickly.”

“If you don’t, you’ll face the heavenly tribulation of two beings alone.”